- A Tulsa businessman behind "Barkstrong" and "Purrstrong"
charity pet collars has sued the Lance Armstrong Foundation (LAF)
. Apparently the U.S. Patent & Trademark Office
awarded Chris Ohman a patent for a "pet collar with an embossed slogan
for encouraging charitable contributions". The U.S. PTO has
been known to award some ridiculous patents that later have to be undone.
This sounds like just such a case. The guy wants a jury trial.
"Raise your right paw and bark after me..." Story is
here
.

- Looks like the UCI have hand picked Ivan Basso to become
an anti-doping campaigner. Story
here
.

- Vuelta Ciclista Asturias live streaming has begun. Link
below.

- Cycling news flash:Alessandro Petacchi found guilty of a doping offense
by the Court of Abitration for Sport, loses five stage wins in 2007
Giro. Story
here
.

- Tour organizer ASO today have reaffirmed their ban on
Astana . "Our management took a decision. We will wait
for one year," ASO spokesman Christophe Marchadier said. Story
here
.

- 4 Days of Dunkirk was also scheduled to be streamed by
French cable station, Direct 8
here
. However, they are now saying they will only show the last
two days of the race. And
cycling.tv
now say they are only showing the last two days of the race. Live
ticker is active today, however.

-
Cycling.tv live video coverage of this race is scheduled to begin
today at 15:00 CET (9am U.S. Eastern). On the other hand, some
areas of the site now say they will only be showing the last two days
of the race... We have asked for clarification.

- Despite the name, the Four Days of Dunkirk takes place over six
days. There is no time trial this year.

- Today's stage 1 of the Four Days of Dunkirk got underway at 12:46
CET (6:46am U.S. Eastern) after successful negotiations with demonstrating
fishermen. The riders are expected at the finish between 16:49
and 17:14 CET (10:49 and 11:14am U.S. Eastern).

- Be sure to reload
this page occasionally
during the
race for the latest
live race coverage
links and information.
The most recent notices
always appear at
the top of this Live Guide.

- Welcome
to today's live
coverage guide for
the
2008 Quatre Jours de Dunkerque.

- Astana is indeed going to the Giro d'Italia,
which starts next Saturday. “We will go to the Giro with our
three leaders, Alberto Contador, Levi Leipheimer and Andreas Kloeden,”
(team director Alain) Gallopin told Reuters before the fifth and last
stage of the Tour de Romandie. More
here
.

- The amazing Jeannie Longo, 49, successfully defended
her title this morning at the Trophee des Grimpeurs. The
men are racing now. Tom Danielson reportedly missed his
plane and didn't make it to the start line.

- Afternoon stage of the Vuelta a Asturias is a 17.2
km individual time trial. Links below.

- Live internet video of today's Stage 2 of the Vuelta
a Asturias should begin at around 15:00 CET (9am U.S. Eastern).

- Today's final stage of the 2008 Tour de Romandie started
at 11:30 CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish between
15:04 and 15:30 CET (9:04 and 9:30am U.S. Eastern). Live video
streaming is scheduled to begin on
cycling.tv
at 13:30 CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

- Live internet video of tomorrow's Stage 2 of the
Vuelta a Asturias should begin at around 15:00 CET (9am U.S.
Eastern).

- Tomorrow's final stage of the 2008 Tour de Romandie
starts at 11:30 CET (5:30am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish
between 15:04 and 15:30 CET (9:04 and 9:30am U.S. Eastern).
Live video streaming is scheduled to begin on
cycling.tv
at 13:30 CET (7:30am U.S. Eastern).

This is no doubt one of the most spectator-friendly races
around for the following reasons:

1. Where else these days can you watch an elite women's field
race in the morning followed by the elite men in the afternoon? There
are a few such race days on the calendar but how many feature the legendary
Jeannie Longo? With over 1,000 wins,
Longo is the winningest pro cyclist in history. She's 49 and
is training for the Beijing Olympic Games. And she's back again
this year to race at the Trophée des Grimpeurs. Allez, Jeannie!

2. The race is held on an 8.3km circuit with a 300
meter 13% grade hill that the women climb 7 times and the men 16
times.

3. Especially if the weather is nice, cycling fans
can picnic at the top of the climb for a day of great racing. Vendors
cook up some hot food on site.

- Today's big Tour de Romandie mountain stage starts at
13:40 CET (7:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish between
17:09 and 17:30 CET (11:09 and 11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour
de Romandie live coverage on
cycling.tv
is scheduled to start at 13:35 CET (7:35am U.S. Eastern)....so
apparently they'll be live for the entire stage.

- Tour de Georgia: All stages are now available
On Demand at
wcsn.com
.

- Be sure to reload
this page occasionally
during the
race for the latest
live race coverage
links and information.
The most recent notices
always appear at
the top of this Live Guide.

- Welcome
to today's live
coverage guide for
the
2008 Tour de Romandie.

- Saturday's big Tour de Romandie mountain stage starts at
13:40 CET (7:40am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish between
17:09 and 17:30 CET (11:09 and 11:30am U.S. Eastern). Tour
de Romandie live coverage on
cycling.tv
is scheduled to start at 13:35 CET (7:35am U.S. Eastern)....so
apparently they'll be live for the entire stage.

-
Cycling.tv
is now playing today's individual time trial at the Tour
de Romandie live.

- Today's Tour de Romandie individual time trial
(18.8km) starts at 14:05 CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern). The last
rider is scheduled to depart at around 17:07 CET (11:07am U.S. Eastern)
but may depart earlier depending on how many riders start today. Live
coverage on
cycling.tv
is scheduled to begin at 16:00 CET (10am U.S. Eastern).

- Tour de Georgia: All stages are now available
On Demand at
wcsn.com
.

- Be sure to reload
this page occasionally
during the
race for the latest
live race coverage
links and information.
The most recent notices
always appear at
the top of this Live Guide.

- Welcome
to today's live
coverage guide for
the
2008 Tour de Romandie.

- Tomorrow's Tour de Romandie individual time trial
(18.8km) starts at 14:05 CET (8:05am U.S. Eastern). The last
rider is scheduled to depart at around 17:07 CET (11:07am U.S. Eastern)
but may depart earlier depending on how many riders start tomorrow.
Live coverage on
cycling.tv
is scheduled to begin at 16:00 CET (10am U.S. Eastern).

- Tour de Romandie Stage 2 started today at 13:10
CET (7:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish between 17:12 and
17:38 CET (11:12 and 11:38am U.S. Eastern). Live coverage on
cycling.tv
is scheduled to begin at 15:00 CET (9am U.S. Eastern).

- Be sure to reload
this page occasionally
during the
race for the latest
live race coverage
links and information.
The most recent notices
always appear at
the top of this Live Guide.

- Welcome
to today's live
coverage guide for
the
2008 Tour de Romandie.

- Tour de Georgia: All stages are now available
On Demand at
wcsn.com
.

- Tour de Romandie Stage 2 starts tomorrow (Thursday)
at 13:10 CET (7:10am U.S. Eastern) and is expected to finish between
17:12 and 17:38 CET (11:12 and 11:38am U.S. Eastern). Live coverage
on
cycling.tv
is scheduled to begin at 15:00 CET (9am U.S. Eastern).

- The official site Tour de Romandie live ticker is now
active. The stage began in the rain and it is snowing toward
the end of the route.

- Stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie started at
12:50 CET (6:50am U.S. Eastern) and the finish is expected between
17:16 and 17:45 CET (11:16 and 11:45am U.S. Eastern). According
to the schedule, live video coverage of the
stage starts at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern) on
cycling.tv
.

- Be sure to reload
this page occasionally
during the
race for the latest
live race coverage
links and information.
The most recent notices
always appear at
the top of this Live Guide.

- Welcome
to today's live
coverage guide for
the
2008 Tour de Romandie.

- Stage 1 of the Tour de Romandie starts tomorrow
(Wednesday) at 12:50 CET (6:50am U.S. Eastern) with the finish expected
between 17:16 and 17:45 CET (11:16 and 11:45am U.S. Eastern). According
to the schedule, live video coverage of the stage
starts at 15:45 CET (9:45am U.S. Eastern) on
cycling.tv
.

- Of course, one of the lesser-known stories behind
the Festina cycling doping scandal of 1998 involved riders and
groupies in wild hotel room orgies, as told by Festina soigneur
Willy Voet in his fact-inspired novel, "Sexe,
mensonges et petits vélos" (Sex, lies and small bikes).
And there is the just-published book by Paul Howard,
"Sex, Lies and Handlebar Tape":

- As we all know, sports like football (soccer) and
tennis do not have doping problems. There is way too much
money in those sports for there to be "a doping problem." Government
agencies, federations and the media (by not investigating) all do
their parts to help ensure there is no "doping problem." However,
it appears today that soccer does have a
transvestites in motel rooms
problem (www.timesonline.co.uk). But at least
they don't have a doping problem. Idiots.

- The 2008 Tour de Romandie is underway with
today's prologue in Geneva. The radsport.ch ticker reports
the sun is shining.

- Lots more cycling live coverage coming up
this week with the Rund um den Henninger Turm
(Frankfurt Grand Prix) on Thursday, Subida al Naranco
(Spain) also on Thursday, and the Vuelta Ciclista
Asturias (Spain) starting on Saturday.

-
cycling.tv
overnight changed the start time on their schedule
for today's Tour de Romandie prologue. The
live broadcast is now scheduled to begin at 17:45 CET (11:45am U.S.
Eastern). (Had we checked the race start time on the official
Tour de Romandie site last night, we'd have seen that cycling.tv were
announcing live coverage more than an hour before the race start time.
Sorry we failed to do that.) The first rider will depart
at 16:10 CET (10:10am U.S. Eastern). Hopefully one of the tickers
will go live by that time. The last rider is scheduled to depart
at 18:52 CET (12:52pm U.S. Eastern).

- Be sure to reload
this page occasionally
during the
race for the latest
live race coverage
links and information.
The most recent notices
always appear at
the top of this Live Guide.

- Welcome
to today's live
coverage guide for
the
2008 Tour de Romandie.

You'll find a lot more great Tour de Georgia photos
at Steve Miller's website
here
.

Tour de Romandie live video coverage

cycling.tv
will be showing the Tour de Romandie live all week.
Live video coverage of tomorrow's prologue is scheduled
to begin at 15:00 CET (9am U.S. Eastern). We'll list the available
live streams, live tickers and graphics.